Adult Stem Cells May Treat Diabetes
Nov. 8, 2006 -- Adult stem cells from human bone marrow may help treat type 2 diabetes.
That's the early finding from lab tests on diabetic mice. Tests on people haven't been done.
The mouse studies are summed up in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers included biochemistry professor Darwin Prockop, MD, PhD, who directs Tulane University's Center for Gene Therapy.
The researchers studied male mice with high blood sugar like that in type 2 diabetes.
Half the mice received two injections of adult stem cells taken from human bone marrow. With their defective immune systems, the mice didn't reject the human cells.
For comparison, the other mice didn't get any injections.
Over the next month or so, mice treated with stem cells made more insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar.
Stem cells turned up in the mice's pancreas, which makes insulin.
The stem-cell treated mice also had less kidney damage than mice in the comparison group, the study shows.
Diabetes can cause kidney damage. Stem cells showed up in the mice's kidneys as well; the injected cells may have helped repair damage, the researchers say.
It's possible, but not yet certain, that stem cell shots could boost insulin production and help fix damaged tissue in people with diabetes, according to Prockop's team.
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Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
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